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S. E. V. SEWARD 8v 1:". W. LEIMBERGER.

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No. 475,61? Patented May 24,1892.

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S. E. V. SEWARD 8u F. W. LBIIVIBERGER.

TRUNK.

Patented May 24, 1,892.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SIMON E. V. SEVARD AND FREDERICK IVM. LEIMBERGER, OF PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA; SAID LEIMBERGER ASSIGNOR TO SAID SEIVARD.

TRUNK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 475,617, dated May 24, 1892.

Application filed January 14:, 1892. Serial No. LJ=18,033. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, SIMON E. V. SEWARD and FREDERICK WVM. LEIMBERGER, of Petersburg, in the county of Dinwiddie and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trunks; and Wedohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

Our invention relates to an improvement in trunks; and it consists in certain novel features of construction, which will be fully described hereinafter, and more particularly referred to in the claims.

The object of our invention is to provide a trunkl with a tray which is so pivoted to the trunk-top as to swing backward within the latter when the top is raised, the forward side of the tray sliding on the tray-sticks.

A further object of ourinvention is to provide a tray, which is adapted to swing back within the top when the same is raised andwhich may be entirely removed from its pivots within the said top when so desired.

A further object of our invention is to provide means for holding the front edge of the tray elevated, so that access may be had to the body of the trunk.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a trunk provided with our improved tray. Fig. 2 is an end view, shown partly in section, the top being partially raised. Fig. 3 is a similar view, the top being entirely down. Fig. 4 is aperspective view of a trunk provided with a modified form of our improved tray. Fig. 5 is an end view of the same. Fig. is a sectional view on the line X X of Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a detached perspective view of the pivot and pivotal plate.

A represents a trunk of any preferred size or shape, and B the swinging cover therefor.

O represents the tray, which fits within the trunk in the ordinary manner, as shown in Fig. 3. Secured to the ends of the tray, and near the rear side thereof, are the plates D, having the upwardly and forwardly extendd ing slot E cut in their lower edges, thus forming the hook F and the rounded edge or corner F. These plates are here shown as supported outward from the tray ends by blocks E; but we do not wish to limit ourselves to this construction, as it is obvious that other securing means might be employed.

Secured to the inner surfaces of the ends'of the trunk-top are the plates G, and projecting outward are the pivots or studs I-I, which are grooved on their peripheries, as shown, and over which the said plates D fit by means of the slot E, and by' this means the rear side of the tray is pivotally supported within the trunk-top.

The tray-sticks I are grooved, as shown, and secured to the bottom of the tray are the rounded strips J, which fit the said grooved sticks, and by this means a track or guide is formed for the said tray in its movement, and it is thereby held from wabbling in its sliding movement.

When the top is down and the trunk closed, the tray is as shown in Fig. 2. When the ton is partially raised, the rear side of the tray, being pivotally connected to the top, is also raised, as shown in Fig. 2. The rear side of the tray is thus raised sufficiently far to clear the rear side A of the trunk-body, so that when the top is thrown entirely back the tray assu mes the position shown in Fig. 1. Space is thus left between the front side of the trunk and the tray to afford access to the trunkbody.

Owing to our improved pivotal connection, the tray may be removed entirely from the trunk and top when so desired.

The tray-sticks I are cut at K and the forward ends pivoted, as shown in Fig. l, so that they may be turned upward and support the tray, or rather the front edge thereof, in a raised position, as shown in dotted lines in Fig? l, thereby making the trunk more accessib e.

A modification is shown in Fig. 4, in which the tray is divided into two separate and distinct boxes O and O. The pivotal connection of the former with the trunk-topis identically the same as that described above in regard to the construction shown in Figs. l, 2, and 3. roo

The front or parasol box C' is about one-third as wide as the tray C, and when the trunk is opened the said box remains in thefront p0rtion of the trunk-body, so that a space is left between the two trays over the center of the trunk when the top is raised, as shown in Fig. 4. The box C may be slid backward on the sticks I, and the front edge of the tray O being raised the said box may be moved thereunder, and thus form a support for the tray, holding it in a substantially horizontal position, as shown in dotted lines.

If so desired, the tray may be thrown entirely back within the top, as shownin Fig. 5.

The grooved tray-sticksare especially adapt ed to trunks of the modified form, as they form gnideways as well as supports for the box C in its backward movement. The said box is so narrow that if a stick of ordinary construction were employed the said box would wahble in its movement and become locked before reaching the desired point. The grooved tray-sticks and rounded strips on the bottom of the box obviate any difficulty of this kind.

Though the plates D are here shown secured to the tray and the studs H to the trunk, it is obvious that their position may be reversed at will withoutJ departing from thej spirit of our invention.

By our improved construction all necessity i of lifting the tray bodily from the trunk is lone away with in order to gain access 1o the trnnkbody, as there is alwaysa a space for that purpose when the lid is raised, owing to the rear edge of the tray being lifted up thereby and being swung backward therein automatically.

Having thus described our invention, we claiml. The combination, with a trunk, a lid therefor, tray-sticks, and a tray supported thereon, of a pivotal connection between the tray and top, the said point of connection being suiciently forward from the rear side of the tray to enable the latter to be lifted over the rear side of the trunk when the said lid is elevated and swung into the lid, drawing the front side of the tray rearward on the trayfstcks, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination, with a trunk, a lid therefor, and a tray supported within the trunk, upwardlyslotted plates secured to the tray ends, and inwardly-projecting studs on the lid ends, upon which the rear side of the tray is pivotally supported by means of the said plates, whereby whenl the lid is raised the rear side of the tray is raised also and slid backward within the trunk-top, substantially as shown and described.

3. The combination, with a trunk, a top therefor, and a tray pivotally connected to the top, of grooved sticks secured within the trunk, and strips on the bottom of the tray which slide in the grooves of the said sticks, substantially as shown and described.

4. The combination, with a trunk, a top therefor, and inwardly-proj ectin g studs on the top ends which are grooved on their peripheries, of a tray, upwardly-slotted plates secured to the tray ends which fit the grooves of the said studs, and sticks within the trunk for supporting the forward side of the tray when the top of the trunk is raised, substantially as shown and described.

5. The combination, with a trunk and a lid therefor, of a tray formed of two parts, the rear portion of the tray being pivotally connected to the lid and its rear side adapted to be raised and swung backward thereby, and tray-sticks within the trunk, the vfront portion of the tray being adapted to he pushed backward on said stick to hold the front side of the rear portion of the tray in an elevated position, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

SIMON E. V. SEWARD. FREDERICK WM. LEIMBERGER.

Witnesses:

B. B. JONES, E. H. BEAsLEY. 

